First Second Impressions
by Frostie1
Summary: Jess is back. Rory doesn’t know. They haven’t seen each other since Jess left for Venice Beach. That was until now.
1. Words Unspoken

**First Second Impressions**

Jess is back. Rory doesn't know. They haven't seen each other since Jess left for Venice Beach. That was until now.

**Words Unspoken**

Rory Gilmore was all packed, ready for her second year at Yale. It had been a decision that had surprised everyone, most of all herself. It meant that she could be near her mom and, she had to admit, Yale really did have one up on Harvard. Harvard was notorious as the school of Elle Woods and other movie stars whose movies had been shot under the Harvard name. Yale was Rory's, no one else's.

"MOM" Rory yelled up the stairs "Get down here now; we're going to be late!"

"But I thought late was fashionable!" Lorelai yelled back at her daughter.

"Mom come on, I can't be late today," Rory pleaded.

"But I can't find my necklace you know the one with…"

Rory began to yell "Mom" again.

"Ok I'm coming" Lorelai sounded frustrated as she traipsed down the stairs.

"You know, it's going to be quiet around here without you." Lorelai continued almost to herself.

"Oh please mom," Rory shot back, "You're the one who makes all the noise.

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!"

Just as Rory was about to retort with the next "do too" when there was a knock at the door. Rory jumped as the door opened and Luke walked in with his arms full.

"COFFEE," Lorelai's eye's lit up when she saw what Luke was carrying.

She grabbed the coffee and took a swig.

"Good morning, nice to see you too." Luke muttered under his breath.

"Come on Rory we better get going" Lorelai said, grabbing her bag and giving Luke a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You're not going to lock up?" Luke said with astonishment.

"Oh thanks for offering Luke. The keys are under the turtle. See you later."

"Bye Luke" Rory laughed following her mother out the door.

Luke stood in the doorway and watched them leave before locking up and heading back to the diner.

"Goodbyes" and "Good Lucks" were shouted at them as they drove through Stars Hollow.

It was Rory's second year at Yale, so she should know what to expect. But, she was just as excited and nervous as she was the first year.

Rory look around the dorm room she was sharing with Paris. It wasn't quite as nice as last years room, but at least it had enough electrical sockets and phone connections for all her and Paris' computers. And at least she had it to herself for the first week, since Paris wasn't returning until next week.

Rory's phone began to ring and Lorelai realized she was no longer needed and began to sneak out of the room. Rory noticed and gestured for her sit on the bed until she had finished her cell conversation.

"Alright, I'll see you in 20 minutes." Rory said, hanging up.

"So who was that?" Lorelai questioned when Rory hung up.

"Dean, he's coming to visit my new dorm" Rory mumbled. She knew her mother still hadn't quite come to terms with her relationship with Dean, who was still legally married to Lindsey. Lorelai looked at Rory but said nothing.

"Come on mom, say something" Rory pleaded. But Lorelai sat silently for one of the few times in her life. She didn't know what to say. Lorelai sighed and looked up to face her daughter.

"I love you honey and I want you to know that but I'm still not sure what to say about Dean, I mean he's married…"

Rory broke Lorelai off mid sentence. "I know mom, I just wish things had turned out differently, you know?"

Rory sighed and look down at her feet ashamed of herself, she hadn't meant for this to happen, she really hadn't. Her mother got off the bed and embraced her. One small tear fell with a quiet drip onto her mom's sweater.

Lorelai walked lazily to the diner, knowing Luke would be upset. Luke was serving tables, when she finally shuffled through the door. They exchanged a brief but loving kiss as Luke delivered cheeseburgers to a table full of teenagers and Lorelai made her way to the counter.

"Coffee?" Luke questioned knowing he didn't really need to ask but did anyway. Lorelai nodded wearily as she flopped down at the counter.

"So you didn't tell her?" Luke enquired, noting her mood. Lorelai shook her head and when Luke didn't reply Lorelai elaborated:

"I couldn't. She was upset about Dean and anyway she'll probably never see him I mean it's a really big college and…"

"Lorelai," Luke sounded like he was about to launch into a full-on lecture.

"Well why does he have to go there anyways? It was Rory's school first!"

"I'm not exactly sure, but he's making something of himself, he's really turned his life around. I guess… well, I'm proud of him."

"I know. It's just... she has to deal with Dean..."

"I know."

There was a knock at Rory's door.

"Come in," she yelled from her room where she was unpacking, knowing it must be Dean.

"Hey," he said poking his head through the doorway.

"Hi," Rory said, trying not to sound down.

Dean failed to notice her mood.

"So I was thinking," he started rapping his arms around, "we could have a movie night this weekend, you know, like old times. Jaws is playing at the Stars Hollow Theater."

Rory unwrapped herself from his arms, "Dean, there will be people we know there."

"Oh, right," he said, looking rather dejected.

"We could go out to dinner," he offered.

"Someone might see us," Rory said frustrated.

"We could…"

"No, we can't Dean. We have to hide this. I don't exactly want to advertise that I'm dating a married man."

"We've been over this, me and Lindsey are over, we are separated."

"I know, it's just that..."

"Everything's fine," Dean interrupted. Rory said nothing.

"Rory, this is ok, dammit!" Dean was getting mad. He sighed and tried to cool off some of his anger.

"Right," he asked.

Rory sighed, "Right."

A loud beeping noise erupted from Dean's belt. He looked down at his pager.

"It's work, I've got to go," he said, moving closer to give Rory a kiss.

She turned her head so he kissed her cheek.

Dean looked slightly hurt but muttered, "bye" and turned to leave.

Rory watched him walk out the door and heard the dorm room door click shut. She sat down on her bed and rubbed at her arms where Dean had touched her. As much as she tried to ignore the feeling, dating a married man still felt dirty. "What am I doing?" she thought.


	2. Strangers Once More Part I

Jess put his bag down and sat on his bed, he couldn't believe he was here. Most people would not think it conceivable to hear the name Jess Mariano and going to Yale in the same sentence without laughing, they all knew he was clever, but they never really thought he had the resolve to do it, they all thought he'd end up like his Dad, everyone except Rory. Rory. The name hurtled round his head. She believed in him. He left her. He'd broken is own heart and hers. He sighed and tried not to think about Rory, but it was hard not to. All thought tracks seemed to lead back to her.

He wondered if Lorelai had told her, he rang and asked her too, he didn't want to bump into Rory and her not knowing, he didn't want to hurt her anymore than he already had.

At night he dreamed of Rory, they were always together, but he knew this was only a dream and the reality was far from it, he hadn't seen her since he went to Venice Beach, but he knew for sure she hated his guts, no she didn't Rory couldn't hate anyone. She probably had a boyfriend anyway; she was smart, funny, beautiful and incredibly unique. In other words she was perfect.

Rory lay on her bed not looking forward to the early start tomorrow, why had she volunteered to be a mentor last year anyway? It wasn't like she was trying to get extra credit to get into Harvard anymore; in fact she'd already gotten in and refused. Rory let a small laugh escape her at the irony of the whole thing, but her heart wasn't really in it, not after everything.

Rory let another weary laugh escape her before turning onto her side. She lay there staring at the wall. Dean's face pounded through her head. She really loved him, she was attracted to him, but in her head he was always with someone else, someone that had blonde hair and his ring on her finger. Someone that wasn't her. Rory knew Dean loved her he'd already proven that, he left Lindsay for her.

"You're the other Woman" her mum's words were still ingrained in her mind, but she couldn't help that Dean was the one she loved. She looked back over the earlier events of the day. She felt horrible about the way she'd treated Dean. She'd treated him like he was dirt not like the one she loved.

Rory looked at her alarm clock the time read 12:01 flashing at her menacingly, she rolled over and closed her eyes trying to sleep, she had to be up early in the morning yet her body was resisting its every urge to sleep. She rolled over once more; unbearably warm she threw of her cover in a final attempt at sleep.


End file.
